3rd November 2004 - "Petticoat Pilot" by Ann Chance

Ann Chance (left) our guest speaker gave us her story of gaining her PPL (Private Pilot’s Licence). A story that began at the age of 53 and a licence gained at 56, but more of that later.

 

She started by outlining in a very light hearted and humorous way how the transition started, in fact with a group parachuting event at Biggin Hill Flying Club in aid of less advantage folk from the Epsom area . This occasion introduced Ann to the use of light aircraft, at that stage her knowledge of aircraft technology was non-existent, apart from prop driven planes had a rotating “thing” at the front.

 

The jumping event was recalled in an interesting but funny way, perhaps because all the participants were dressed in Super woman/man costumes including Batman and Robin, all landed, after expert and pointed instructions from the jump master!, but two finished up in hospital not of course our intrepid Ann the super woman!

 

From that moment she got hooked on flying and registered for a course, she describes her first lesson when she arrived inappropriately dressed in high heels, skirt complete with crinoline skirt and petticoat, naturally airfields are open draughty places and from the wings of her aircraft the ground crew got a beautiful display, not of airmanship but of luscious parts rarely seen!

 

She continued in this same vein to describe her first lessons, with a pilot who looked like an under age school boy, leading to her solo flight and the adrenalin flow once airborne and following the downwind leg flight checks leading to the approach and a good landing, but alas overshooting the taxi lane because she forgot to apply her brakes.

She was greeted again by the “boys” who presented her with champagne, a certificate of excellence and a pre wrapped present, the contents of which are best not describe on the world wide web, but caused a great deal of laughter from the 60 Probus members present.

 

The process of Ann gaining her licence was a very steep learning curve – nearly as steep as some of her planned manoeuvres, she relates getting lost and assuming all rivers are the Thames, which they are not and finishing in another county rather than Kent, one wonders if lady pilots are given more latitude than us poor males?

She eventually gained her PPL but not before completing much more airtime, including point to point navigation and tests in Meteorology, Aviation Law, Navigation, Human Factors for Pilots, Recovery from Unusual Attitudes, Steep Descending Turns, and Visual Flight Rules, etc.

 

This was a very humorous presentation, devoid of aircraft terminology such as ailerons, gyros, artificial horizons, and altimeter meters, trim surfaces, etc so the presentation appealed to the non-technical. But the vote of thanks was carefully arranged by the Speakers Secretary who selected Brian Cousins an ex jet pilot, perhaps to shoot Ann out of the sky with all canons blazing, but Brian as a true gentleman did the correct manoeuvre and thanked Ann for a most interesting talk and the membership joined in with our traditional applause.

 

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